[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 60 (Thursday, May 5, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E826-E827]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING DELIA P. SANCHEZ

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. KATHY CASTOR

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 5, 2011

  Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Mr. Speaker, in recognition of her recent 
honor, the 2011 Sydney & Thalia Potter Civic Leadership Award from the 
League of Women Voters of Hillsborough County, I rise to herald the 
achievements of Delia P. Sanchez, a champion for children in Florida. 
Ms. Sanchez is a wonderful example of the power of women to shape 
future generations and make a difference in their communities. Ms. 
Sanchez is a lifelong learner. She obtained her bachelor's degree from 
Florida State University in Social Work with minors in Education and 
Spanish in 1945 and went on to get her Master's in Social Work at 
Columbia University in 1947. Until 1991, nearly fifty years later, she 
took graduate level courses in areas such as Pupil Personnel Services, 
Education, and Rehabilitation.
  All the while, Ms. Sanchez was affecting enormous change in lives of 
hundreds of children in the Tampa Bay area. One of the greatest 
services that Delia Sanchez provided to the Tampa community was to work 
with Congressman Sam Gibbons to bring the first Head Start initiative 
to Hillsborough County. She began her career as a Child Welfare Worker 
for the Florida State Welfare Board. From there Ms. Sanchez went on to 
work for the School Board of Hillsborough County as a School Social 
Worker and a Case Work Consultant, working her way up the ranks to 
eventually serve as the Administrative Supervisor for Head Start for 
nine years. Then, in the last three years of her career, she went into 
private practice to counsel troubled children.
  Throughout her career and in her retirement, Ms. Sanchez has served 
as a board member or local representative to a number of community 
organizations. The list is too large to mention them all, but they 
range from the University of South Florida's Latin Community Advisory 
Committee, the Citizen's Advisory Council, the Child Abuse Council, the 
Ybor City Museum Society, to the National Association of Social 
Workers.
  For all of her hard work in education and the lives of children, 
countless organizations have recognized her. To name a few, Ms. Sanchez 
is the recipient of the US State Department Fellowship Award, the 
American Red Cross Service Award twice, the Retired Social Worker 
Outstanding Achievement Award, the Hillsborough County Martin Luther 
King, Jr. Award, the National Head Start Association Lifetime 
Achievement Award and now the Sydney & Thalia Potter Civic Leadership 
Award. She is also a member of Sigma Delta Pi Spanish Honor Society, 
was named Social Worker of the Year by the National Association of 
Social Workers by the Tampa Bay Unit and then again by the Florida 
Chapter, received an honorary Doctorate from the University of South 
Florida School of Social Work, and in 1993 she was Hispanic Woman of 
the Year.
  Mr. Speaker, Delia P. Sanchez is a woman of the highest regard who 
has dedicated her

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life to helping others. I am proud to call her my neighbor, and I join 
many others to applaud her lifetime contribution to the Tampa Bay 
community.

                          ____________________